CAPITAL CITY of PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY Cover Photo Václav Hykeš Contents
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CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY Cover photo Václav Hykeš Contents Introduction 4 1. Observed and projected climate change effects in Prague 6 2. Assessment of vulnerability to climate change effects in Prague including the non-action option 9 3. Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation Strategy vision 15 4. Main and specific targets in the Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation 17 Strategy and a proposal on adaptation measures A Adaptations to increasing temperatures, urban heat island and heat waves 18 Adaptation measures to reducing impacts of torrential rainfall, floods and long-term drought 24 B on the Capital City of Prague´s territory C Adaptation measures to reduce energy performance in Prague incl. adaptations in buildings 30 D Adaptation measures in risk management and providing citizens with safety 34 E Adaptation measures in sustainable mobility 38 Adaptation measures in communication, education and public awareness/environmental 40 F education 5. Proposal of the Capital City of Prague Implementation Plan 2018-2019 development 42 Appendixes 43 I. List of policy documents related to the Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 44 II. Table of specific targets and measures provided by the Capital City of Prague Climate Change 45 Adaptation Strategy III. Primary information 62 IV. Good practice examples/lessons learnt in Prague 65 CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY 3 AIM Reducing vulnerability of the Capital City of Prague, the Czech Republic, to climate change effects aiming at improving the environment for its inhabitants in future. VISION Enhancing a long-term resilience and reducing vulnerability of the Capital City of Prague to climate change effects by step-by-step implementation of adaptive measures, preferably applying nature-based solutions combined with grey, i.e. technological and soft measures, to provide the city´s inhabitants with high well-being. 4 CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY The Czech Republic, as well as its capital Prague, has during the The Adaptation Strategy also deals with conservation of last decades been facing increasing frequency in extreme weather water, soil and biological natural and landscape components and events related to climate change. Mean annual air temperatures conservation and restoration of ecosystems resilient to climate have been increasing: the increase has been approx. 0.3°C per change, thus contributing to natural disaster prevention (the decade and by 2030 the further increase by 1°C is projected for so-calledecosystem approach to climate change adaptations or the Czech Republic´s territory. In addition, frequency, intensity and nature-based solutions). duration of extremely hot periods (heat waves) will possibly be If nature-based solutions cannot be applied or are increasing in Prague. ineffective, suitable technological (also called grey) and soft Hydrological cycle and rainfall distribution in time and space measures, e.g. early warning systems or communication, have also been changing: risk of torrential rains and consequent education and public awareness/environmental education cam- local floods have also been increasing, as well as discharge paigns, will be used. fluctuation (droughts v. floods). It is expected that winter The strategy tries to take into account specific Capital City precipitation totals will increase: on the other hand, summer of Prague´s patterns as the urban landscape, being character- precipitation totals will be decreasing. In addition, number of ized by high proportion of built-up areas, economic, technologi- days in the period without precipitation shall be significantly cal and transport infrastructure high accumulation and unevenly increasing as well as risks in an occurrence of droughts. The climate dispersed vegetation component distribution. models predict an increase in extreme weather events (windstorms, By Prague Council Decision No. 3213 of December 12, 2015 tornados, etc.) frequency. and submitting an application, the Capital City of Prague became The Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation Strategy a Mayors Adapt Initiative member, thus accepting a commitment (hereinafter referred to as the Adaptation Strategy) is connected to develop a climate change adaptation strategy and to monitor with the Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Czech and assess the process and procedure of adaptation measures Republic approved by the Government of the Czech Republic´s incl. risk assessment and elaborating biennial assessment decision in 2015. It aims at reducing adverse climate change reports. The Capital City of Prague Climate Change Adaptation impacts trough nature-based solutions (e.g., green and blue Strategy shall be elaborated by the Implementation Plan for 2018 – infrastructures) using natural vegetation patterns which cools the 2019: the latter will provide specific adaptation measures and pilot environment by evaporation and providing shade in its vicinity. projects which contribute to climate change mitigation, their At the same time, vegetation allows to capture, retain and monitoring and effectivity and effectiveness assessment. accumulate rainfalls in soil layers or as the case may be to infiltrate them in underground water. CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY 5 Observed and projected climate change effects in Prague 11.1 OBSERVED CLIMATE CHANGE PATTERNS ON THE CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE´S TERRITORY In built-up areas of the city, there are many surfaces absorbing solar radiation and accumulating heat, e.g. asphalt and concrete. Under climatic conditions typical for Prague, the maximum day temperature of the 1.1.1 Temperature surfaces, if they are not overshadowed, may even reach more than 50°C during summer months. Compared with surfaces able to retain and release water may the difference can exceed dozens of centigrade (e.g. difference Prague, particularly its downtown, is among the warmest areas in the Czech between water surface and asphalt parking surface temperatures). Republic with mean annual temperature > 10°C; the temperature has in the Due to increased solar radiation absorption in built-up areas, heat is more long term been increasing. The step-by-step increase in temperature can accumulated there, thus forming an urban heat island. Heat accumulated also be evidenced by mean annual temperatures, having been 9.1°C in 1911- in built-up areas during the day, is lost by radiation in the night and warms 1960, 10.4°C in 1961-2010 respectively (an increase by 1.3°C). The increase the surrounding. Thus, it amplifies the adverse effects caused by high to in mean annual temperature is showed by measurements at the Prague extremely high temperatures which consequently becoming longer and Clementinum Observatory & Meteostation (see Fig. 1). more intensive (Fig. 2). Fig. 1: Mean annual air temperatures (in °C) in 1775-2015 at the Prague Clementinum Fig. 2: Urban heat island - air temperature dynamics during the day Observatory & Meteostation and the night Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, 2016, portal.chmi.cz and infomet.cz Source: www.epa.gov 6 CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY The Prague urban heat island reaches mean daily temperature intensity of 1.6°C, while the highest one is just in the densely built-up downtown (Fig. 3). Fig. 3: Mean annual air temperature in Prague and its surroundings in 1961 – 2013 1.1.2 Precipitation Measuring precipitation shows keeping its mean annual totals, but also a sharp change in its temporal and spatial distribution. Both number and intensity of torrential rainfalls have been increasing and drought periods have been more frequent (see Fig 4). At the same time, frequency and intensity have also been increasing in other extreme weather events (e.g., thunderstorms, hailstorms or strong winds). Generally, a trend in mean annual precipitation totals cannot be found, due to their sharp annual fluctuations and variability (cf. the highest annual precipitation total in 2002 and the lowest one in 2003). Number of days without precipitation as well as frequency in irregular drought periods has also been increasing in Prague. Fig. 4: Mean annual air temperature in Prague and its surroundings in 1961 – 2013 Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, 2016 The highest difference in temperature between the centre of Prague and its surroundings has been experienced in the recent years and it has conti- nuously been increasing during the last 50 years. The key drivers of the above pattern are spatial spreading of built-up areas and traffic intensification. Source: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, 2016 CAPITAL CITY OF PRAGUE CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGY 7 1.2 EXPECTED CLIMATE CHANGE MANIFESTATIONS ON THE CITY OF PRAGUE´S TERRITORY 1.2.1 Temperature 1.2.2 Precipitation According to climate models, the Capital City of Prague shall face changing Patterns in precipitation are more comprehensive, particularly from a point of climate conditions, particularly increase in mean annual temperature for low view of high variability in annual precipitation totals. It is expected that mean (RCP 4,5) as well as high (RCP 8,5) scenarios. The fact will result in a highly annual precipitation totals shall not be changed, compared with a long-term significant increase in the tropical day number (Tmax > 30°C), up to 38.6 days/ average from 1981 – 2010. Nevertheless, when stabilizing the precipitation year for RCP 8.5 in 2081-2100 compared